If Odell Beckham Jr. is available, the Tennessee Titans should look into him
By Kyle Zwiazek
After missing out on Ndamukong Suh, the Tennessee Titans have the chance to get another impact player. Odell Beckham Jr. could be on his way out of New York and the Titans need to at least kick the tires.
This idea has already gotten some flack on twitter, but Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson needs to do his due diligence when it comes to Odell Beckham Jr. There have been reports out lately that the New York Giants are looking to offload the disgruntled star. He is on the last year of his contract with the Giants and is unhappy that he does not have one beyond this season. The problem is Odell has had issues staying healthy and recently has had some off the field issues. Any leg he had to stand on in a contract negotiation went out the window. That is why the Giants are looking to trade the star wide receiver.
But the Giants are looking for an offer they cannot refuse. It is easy to say that Beckham is a top three wide receiver in the NFL when healthy. He is dynamic and can take a quick slant to the house on any given play. That type of player can change a franchise going forward. The Titans have a nice crop of wide receivers, but the best options right now are Corey Davis and Rishard Matthews. Both are solid players, but have not shown the skills that Beckham has. Adding Beckham to that group turns the Titans’ receivers into a Super Bowl level unit.
Does He Fit With Tennessee?
The most telling statistic of all comes from Bill Barnwell on Twitter:
When looking at Eli Manning’s statistics with and without Beckham., it shows how much of an impact he has as a receiver. There are certain receivers that just make their quarterbacks better and Beckham is one of them.
Beckham will not be easy to obtain. The Giants are looking for a first round pick, but that does not mean he cannot be available for less. If New York is seriously tired of Beckham’s antics they will be willing to get rid of the talent to the highest bidder. Not many teams will give a first round pick for a player coming off an injury that is currently being sued for $15 million. This also does not include the tape of Beckham in France with a suspicious white powder close by. Needless to say, trading for the young star comes with some baggage.
Tennessee Titans
He fits on the field, though. The Titans have a nice group of receivers, but they could use a star. Marcus Mariota has had a lackluster career in Tennessee and adding a wide receiver like Beckham would improve his play. That, combined with new offensive coordinator Matt LeFleur, could be a match made in Super Bowl heaven.
What Would He Cost?
This is when most Tennessee Titans fans will get angry. Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the top players in the league and will cost quite a bit in a trade. After the trade, he will also require a large contract. That is the nature of the beast. Trading the Titans’ 25th overall draft pick plus their sixth round pick and maybe a fourth next year could get it done. Is it a lot? Of course, but this isn’t Madden. This is a similar outline to what the Seahawks gave up to get Percy Harvin in 2013. Beckham is head over heals a better player than Harvin was at the time.
It is possible to switch the first round pick this season with the Titans’ second round pick and give up a little more than a sixth. The biggest factor is how bad the Giants want to get rid of Beckham. After the trade, he will want a new contract. Beckham is looking for a reported $20 million per year. Keep in mind that NFL contracts are not fully guaranteed and $20 million per year is not crazy for a player of his caliber. Let’s say the Titans want to wait until the end of the season; that market value could go up. The salary cap will keep growing and it makes more sense to lock up Beckham now, instead of having to pay him $25 or $30 million in the near future.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, this is very unlikely to happen. The Giants may be getting frustrated with Beckham, but he seems to want to stay in New York. It is fun to dream of these kinds of things in the off-season. Beckham would be fun to watch every week in Nashville, but the Titans are probably not looking to give up the assets and money for him. If he was a choir boy that kept to himself, it would be more realistic.